{"id":32774,"date":"2024-02-19T11:26:16","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T03:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/?p=32774"},"modified":"2024-11-13T14:32:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T06:32:27","slug":"sydney-rally-a-conflation-of-antisemitism-with-criticism-of-israel-jca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/sydney-rally-a-conflation-of-antisemitism-with-criticism-of-israel-jca\/","title":{"rendered":"Sydney rally: A conflation of antisemitism with criticism of Israel &#8211; JCA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #800000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Jewish Council raises concerns about false accusations of antisemitism and Holocaust references at pro-Israel rally on weekend<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The Jewish Council of Australia is concerned about a pro-Israel rally, which took place over the weekend in Sydney, framed under the misleading banner of fighting antisemitism, and organised by the group \u2018Never Again is Now\u2019. The Council is concerned that some Jewish representative bodies supported this rally, which exploited Jewish fear about antisemitism and Holocaust memory for a pro-Israel agenda.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">This rally, and the others planned by \u2018Never Again is Now\u2019, platform speakers with long histories of bigotry and racism against Muslim people, Arabs and LGBTIQA+ people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The lineup of speakers included people from organisations such as the Australian Christian Lobby, which has been <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crikey.com.au\/2022\/10\/07\/one-nation-australian-christian-lobby-global-project-against-hate-extremism\/\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">listed as a far-right and extremist group<\/span><\/a> for its anti-LGBTIQA+ policies. It also included speakers such as Senator Jacqui Lambie, who has been <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/entertainment\/tv-and-radio\/qa-muslim-leaders-demand-apology-from-abc-over-jacqui-lambies-racist-views-20170214-gud0e1.html\">accused of<\/a><\/span> making Islamophobic comments in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The Jewish Council has serious concerns that \u2018Never Again is Now\u2019 promoted their event via co-hosted Instagram posts with well known far-right Canadian media outlet \u2018Rebel News\u2019, as well as other accounts which feature Islamophobic content.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Many of the organisations supporting and sponsoring these rallies are Christian Zionist groups that support Israel and encourage Jews to migrate there with the express aim of hastening the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Speakers at the rally engaged in conflation of antisemitism with criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian human rights. Scott Morrison <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2024\/feb\/19\/scott-morrison-tells-rally-against-antisemitism-he-is-praying-for-a-great-miracle-in-middle-east\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">told the crowd<\/span><\/a> that chants of \u201cfrom the river to the sea\u201d at Palestine solidarity rallies were antisemitic. He also <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/nsw\/morrison-accuses-un-of-antisemitism-decries-persecution-of-australian-jews-20240218-p5f5ul.html\">attacked<\/a><\/span> the United Nations for being antisemitic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO, who attended the Sydney rally, told <em>The Australian<\/em> newspaper that the rallies sent a \u201cpowerful message\u201d about antisemitism.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Quotes from Sarah Schwartz, human rights lawyer and Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Australia<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">\u201cThe rally featured organisations and speakers with a history of anti-trans, anti-LGBTQIA+, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments. This fusion of right wing Jewish and Christian fundamentalism under the misleading banner of fighting \u2018antisemitism\u2019 is very concerning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">At a time when the International Court of Justice has found a plausible case that Israel is committing genocide, the weaponisation of false antisemitism accusations and Holocaust memory &#8211; by saying \u2018Never Again is Now\u2019 &#8211; to be directly lobbying for Israel is particularly egregious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">We are concerned about the way in which some Jewish representative organisations and the Israel lobby are willing to partner with people with long histories of bigotry and racism against Muslims, Arabs and LGBTQIA+ people.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Quotes from Dr Max Kaiser, Historian and Executive Officer of the Jewish Council of Australia<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">&#8220;We need to fight antisemitism as part of the fight against all forms of racism and bigotry. It does not assist the fight against racism to treat antisemitism as different from other forms of racism and to conflate antisemitism with support for Palestinian human rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The Israel lobby continues to conflate Jews and Israel, including by engaging in lobbying for Israel on behalf of the whole Jewish community. These groups do not represent the opinions of all Jews, many of whom deplore Israel\u2019s human rights abuses.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><a title=\"Sydney rally: A conflation of antisemitism with criticism of Israel Jewish Council raises concerns about false accusations of antisemitism and Holocaust references at pro-Israel rally on weekend - Jewish Council of Australia\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishcouncil.com.au\/media\/sydney-rally-conflation-antisemitism-criticism-israel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">\u200dSource<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"JCA Subscribe\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishcouncil.com.au\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-32817\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JCA-subscribe.jpg?resize=339%2C180&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"339\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JCA-subscribe.jpg?w=339&amp;ssl=1 339w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JCA-subscribe.jpg?resize=300%2C159&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Jews against fashism | Tweet\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jewsagainstfash\/status\/1856436307817574786\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #993300; font-size: 20px;\">These pro-Israel rallies &#8211; a bizarre fusion of Zionists and other fascists are taking place all over Australia<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Thread Reader - Christian Zionist organisation 'Never Again Is Now' has held rallies all over \u2018australia\u2019 purporting to denounce antisemitism. Yet it has consistently demonstrated a trend of platforming, enabling and allowing the behaviour it apparently opposes.\" href=\"https:\/\/threadreaderapp.com\/thread\/1856436267485122754.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-35616 size-full\" title=\"Thread Reader - Christian Zionist organisation 'Never Again Is Now' has held rallies all over \u2018australia\u2019 purporting to denounce antisemitism. Yet it has consistently demonstrated a trend of platforming, enabling and allowing the behaviour it apparently opposes.\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Jews-Against-Fascism.jpg?resize=591%2C702&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"591\" height=\"702\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Jews-Against-Fascism.jpg 591w, https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Jews-Against-Fascism-480x570.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 591px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Amongst the crowd, it was hard not to notice failed Pauline Hanson\u2019s One Nation candidate<br \/>\nTyler Walsh, wearing a t-shirt with the logo of Australia First, run by antisemitic<\/span> <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" title=\"The Groyper movement is a loose network of white nationalist activists and internet trolls who gravitate around several key online influencers. Their goal is to push and normalize white nationalist ideas within mainstream conservatism | Institue for Strategic Dialogue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isdglobal.org\/explainers\/groypers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Groyper<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">Gabriel Mare.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Jewish Council raises concerns about false accusations of antisemitism and Holocaust references at pro-Israel rally on weekend &nbsp; The Jewish Council of Australia is concerned about a pro-Israel rally, which took place over the weekend in Sydney, framed under the misleading banner of fighting antisemitism, and organised by the group \u2018Never Again is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,113,645,392,34,683],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australias-move-to-the-right","category-foreign-policy","category-gaza-genocide","category-racism","category-religion","category-zionist-influence"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}